Twenty-Two Charged Federally in Evansville Drug Trafficking Case

U.S. Attorney’s Office
February 04, 2010

Southern District of Indiana(317) 226-6333

Twenty-two persons have been charged in U.S. District Court in Evansville with
conspiracy to distribute cocaine. Approximately 150 law enforcement officers from the region
participated in the execution of arrest and search warrants related to the investigation on persons
and residences in Evansville, Henderson, Kentucky and Miami, Florida. Recovered there was
approximately 1/4 kilogram of powder cocaine and a quantity of crack cocaine, approximately
$21,000 in cash and 16 firearms. These charges are the result of an investigation led by the
Evansville office of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Evansville-Vanderburgh
County Joint Drug Task Force.

The first indictment charges 12 individuals as follows:

JEAN STERLING, 36, of Miami, Florida and Evansville,

SLEDGE SEIDE, 33, of Evansville

FRANCOEUR PIERRE, 30, of Evansville

JULVIO GABRIEL, 28, of Evansville

JULIUS WILBOURN, 36, of Evansville

EDGAR GIBSON, 28, of Evansville

MARVIN WHITNEY, 22, of Evansville

BRUCE THOMAS, 48, of Evansville

OLIVIA ALFANO, 22, of Evansville

JOHNNY WILBOURN, 46, of Evansville

LERNARD DIXON, 25, of Evansville

JESSICA JEAN, 22, of Evansville

Sterling, Seide and Pierre are alleged to be members of the “Zoe Pound” Miami based
criminal street gang. The indictment alleges that "Zoe Pound" is a criminal street gang founded
by Haitian immigrants within the United States, with its roots in Miami, Florida. The defendants
are alleged to have used and relied upon their ties to “Zoe Pound,” which over the past two decades has grown and branched out from its Miami roots and is well known for its involvement
in drug trafficking, robbery and related violent crime, to facilitate and advance the conspiracy’s
drug trafficking activities in Evansville.

The first indictment charges all 12 defendants with conspiracy to distribute and possess
with intent to distribute both “crack” and powder cocaine. Defendants Wilbourn, Thomas and
Pierre are additionally charged with separate instances of cocaine distribution in Evansville from
July through September, 2009. Defendants Seide, Pierre, Gabriel, Whitney, Gibson, Johnny
Wilbourn, Dixon, Alfano and Thomas are additionally charged with separate instances of using
their cellular telephones to facilitate the drug trafficking offenses.

The second, related indictment charges nine individuals, all of Evansville, as follows:

MICHAEL DAVIS, 24,

JULIUS WILBOURN,

LERON SEALES, 26,

JAMES WILSON, 70,

ANDRE KING, 47,

JAMES RAGLAND, 46,

LAMAR DUERSON, 30,

MELVIN COLLIER, 66,

JELANI MCGEE, 28,

Defendants Davis, Wilbourn, Seales, Wilson and King are alleged to have participated in a
related “crack” and powder cocaine distribution conspiracy. Defendants Davis, Ragland,
Duerson, Collier and McGee are additionally charged with separate instances of using their
cellular telephones to facilitate drug trafficking offenses.

In a separate federal complaint, related to the Davis indictment, two additional
defendants, Kelly Shidler, 21, and Amber Powell, 30, were charged with the possession of
cocaine with the intent to distribute it. The charges against Shidler and Powell stem from a
February 1, 2010, traffic stop in Terre Haute, Indiana, during which Powell was found to be
driving an automobile with a concealed trap compartment. According to the complaint affidavit,
during a subsequent search of the automobile, law enforcement officers located approximately two
kilograms of cocaine. The Complaint affidavit alleges that Shidler and Davis arranged for the
receipt of the cocaine from sources in Chicago, Illinois, and followed Powell back from Chicago
as she transported the cocaine on their behalf.

According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew P. Brookman, who is prosecuting the case
for the government, most of the defendants, if convicted, face maximum possible prison
sentences of life imprisonment. Defendants Duerson and Collier face maximum possible eight-year prison sentences. Defendants Ragland and McGee face a maximum possible prison
sentence of four years.

Initial hearings began at 9:00 this morning for some of the defendants before U.S.
District Court Chief Judge Richard L. Young in Evansville.

The following agencies assisted with the investigation and execution of the warrants:

FBI Evansville Safe Streets Task Force

Evansville Police Department

Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms & Explosives

United States Marshals Service

U.S. Postal Inspection Service

Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Department

Henderson, Kentucky Police Department

Henderson County, Kentucky Sheriff’s Department

Kentucky State Police

Indiana State Police

Internal Revenue Service

Gibson County, Indiana Sheriff's Department

Vigo County, Indiana Drug Task Force

The indictment is an allegation only, and all defendants are presumed innocent
unless and until proven guilty at trial or by guilty plea.